The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-02-05
Shall Corporations Rule P

The beliefis prevalent in Baltimore that the
reform movement, inaugurated at Oratorio
Hall recently, with the professed purpose of
Kidding Baltimore of the rule of the terminal
classes and to purify the Democratic party
in the State, is really move on the part OF
the Baltimore & Ohio railroad and other cor
porations to gain control of the constitutional
convention, which will be held next year.
The Baltimore Sun effectuallY disposed of
the false accusation that the criminal classes
ruled Baltimore, then the intelligent and
thinking people began to inquire into the
cause of so much political activity. The
views of one of them is thus given in the Sun
of last Saturday:
.'Mr Cowen while throwing much mud to obscure
the real design he had in view gives leading point
in the very middle of his writing, where he aims
hit nj the proposed constitutional convention, and
makes the false charge that the object of those who
fnyor new State constitution is 10 get rld OF tne
present judiciary The truth is that the Democratic
party in Maryland will go into the campaign on an
issue in favor of fair equalization OF the burdens oil
taxation to be borne by all classes In this 1t Will no
~-aoubt meet corporate antagonisn, open or covert
md Mr. Cowen does IL service more important than
he proposed by early calling public attention IN
this direction. The calling OF constitutional con,
vention is a most important matter LOT upon u VIII
devolve the duty Of flaming such coIlsltuton as
will secure equat and exact justice LOT an CotoIa
ton couusellOIs and the candidates OF corporations
will not make suitable members OF such conNen-
ton in the opinion of the public at large ANA II
will be needful on the other hand TO see that the
just rights in and to property are protected on an
equitable basis 10 every case. Inc Democratlc
marty cannot afford to put corporation lawer upon
It's ticket for judges the Court of Appeals and it
will not. Court of Appeals that VIII cohstrue
taxation will never have its decisions reversed in
these days 1t may be that chartered perpetual
exemption of corporate property may mold buI
Mr. Governs railroad corporation, besides It's capal
stock of Sl6,00O,OCD, claims a surplus OF SluVOoUVO
CONSUMING its charter exemption as may pc IL ohy
proyides for a line of two tracks from Baltimore TO
Wheeling and yet the struggle of that great concern
has always been for the tax exemption TO cover al
of its property acquisitions The state OF harylahu
has been peisisently gouged by the moneyed cor
porations and new constitution Will bring an al.
dtlon of SO 900 600 to the property assessment
is 10 defeat this that the are being beiouled
and the fair fame of this city OF ours is dlscreulteu
abroad being in the control of the criminal eias
SEES We told that Mr. Cowen Is sucn Doiu III,
depcndent man that he cannot be controlled and
that there are differences of opinion in his company
us to his political course If So 1t can be only Hll
ference as 10 methods corporation that so often
Interested in politics and says it cannot now Keep
its advisory counsellor i'll the line Oh us polc!' uN'
be in II peculiar plight
The article in the Sun goes on to say
Nearly all classes not directly identified with the
railroads are saying that the question oil the Iesua
lion of affairs of transportation by mparual lesia
ton must come. The merchant whose business Ian
guishes because he cannot get Inc REBATES lnut ny
knows Others secure saysso. The local Shippers ~
than theirs must come between the great cGrp9fa IRA
tions and themselves in some shape and only after
a trial OF the effort the proper shape be known
The State constitutional convention VIII nave
these important measures to provide Tor IN the or
gSnlic law. But to some observers it has become
tier of blank surprise to see so many corporation
nav yers enlisted the side of the movement Tor the
alleged reformation of the Democratic party, ana
who have enlisted in the crusade against the rule OF
the ''crimina classes" lawyer whose attention
this phase of the situation attracted says: III IS
almost peculiar that Mr. Cowen, the general counsel
and the legal attorneys of his company from EeGl
county to the Allegany mountains should al De
ranged under the reform banner. Ex-Governor
Tamilton is credited with being about the most ac
five friend that Mr.. Governs company has up the
country and he believes in its securities. the ut
terances of Mr. Cowen and the other reform orators
will not effect much where it is believed their mo-
tyes are understood,
From published interviews of. several gen
tlemen, including number of Labor leaders,
] the opinion seems 10 be general that all ac-
\ cusations against the Democratic party are
mere blinds to catch the unwary, while the
Il object is to escape just taxation and to
old legal regulation as to freight and pas
elimination.